New Data Protection Law Enacted in Dubai Emirate
Dubai has enacted a new data protection law that replaces the current privacy law, law N. 1 of 2007. The new 50-page law, which modernizes the current data protection law, will come into effect on July 1, 2020, at which time the pre-existing law and all related regulations will be repealed.
The Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) Data Protection Law No. 5 of 2020 (DIFC Law No. 5 of 2020) was enacted on June 1, 2020 by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, in capacity as the Ruler of Dubai. Like its predecessor, the geographic scope of the law is limited to the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) rather than the entire territory of the Dubai emirate.
The new law introduces concepts of accountability, and enhances individuals’ control over their personal data. It also provides for fines for data breaches. According to its Article 5, the purpose of the law is to provide standards and controls for the processing and free movement of personal data, and to protect the fundamental rights of the data subjects. Interestingly, Article 5 also specifies that the purpose of the law is to protect the fundamental rights of data subject “including how such rights apply to the protection of personal data in emerging technologies.”
Overview
DIFC Law No. 5 of 2020 takes into accounts principles found it other well-known data protection laws, such as the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Brazil’s General Data Protection Law (LGPD), and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). According to the official press release, the modernization of the data protection legal landscape of the DIFC signals its ambition to apply for adequacy recognition by the European Commission and other jurisdictions, which would ease global data transfers for DIFC-based businesses.